Wire clamp or grip.



G. H. GLASS & G. A. VINT.

WIRE CLAMP 0R GRIP.

APPLICATION FILED r313.2s,190s.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

after/He' l'll GEORGE H. GLASS AND GEORGE A. VINT, OF PEKIN, ILLINOIS.

WIRE CLAMP R GRIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

Application filed February 26, 1908. Serial No. .-17,869.

T 0 all whom. it may concern:

Be. it known that we, Gnonon H. GLAss and Gnome A. Vina", citizens of the United States. residing at lekin, in the county of Tazewell, State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Wire Clamp or Grip, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wire grips or clamps for use in stretching telephone, tele graph, and trolley wires or the like.

The object of the invention is to provide simple means whereby a firm grip can be obtained upon wires of dilierent dimensions, said wires being secured in place by means of a ".lable locking member.

A iurther object is to provide means whereby a suitable. take-up may be attached to the grip, said means being so positioned as not to interfere with the placing of the grip upon the wire to be stretched. Hei toforc in devices of this character it has been 'dillicult to so position the grip upon a wire to prevent the wire from. interfering with the stretching operation because the parts have been so arranged that said wire extends directly toward and against the takeup device and its connection with the grip.

lhe ob ect of the present invention is to c minatethe disadvantages incident to devices of this character by providing a grip which is, designed to be so positioned upon a wire that the take-up mechanism will be held removed from the wire and will not be interfcrred with thereby.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construcion and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawing..: Figure l is an elevation of the device, the same. being shown applied to a wire. Fig. 2 is a similar view thereof shorting the movable locking member uuseatcd. Fig. 8 is a section on line Q2, Fig. l and showing the two wires positioned within the grip.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates the base of the grip, the same being provided at one end with an elongated lo. itudinal tongue 2 tcrn'iinating in an eye 3. Extending from one face of the base 1 and along-the longitiulinal edges rope or other connection.

thereof are relatively fixed jaws 4 and 5 which converge toward that end of the base fartherest removed from the tongue 2 and form a tapered passage 6 therebetween, that wall of the passage formed by the jaw 5 being preferably shaped so as to slightly overhang the passage as clearly indicated in Fig. 3. jaw is a longitudinal groove 7 and a similar but smaller longitudinal groove 8 is preferably formed within the inner face of jaw 5.

Passage 6 is designed to receive a relatively movable locking member 9 which is wedge-shaped as shown particularly in Fig. 1 and is provided at one end with an outstanding head 10 whereby the same can be hit by means of a .hammer or other suitable tool for the purpose of driving the movable locking member longitudinally withih the passage 6. The side faces of this locking member 9 are disposed so as to lie in planes parallel with the side walls of the passage 6 as indicated at 11 and 12, and the clamping face 11 has a longitudinal groove 13 therein corresponding with the groove 7 while the clamping face 19 has a smaller longitudinal groove lt corresponding to the groove 8..

As clearly indicated in Fig. 1 the inner faces of the jaws 4 and 5 are disposed along lines intersecting the longitudinal axis of the base 1 and tongue 2 so that when a wire such as indicated at 15, is clamped against either jaw at and 5 it will extend to one side of the eye 3 and will not therefore interfere with or be deflected by the connection be tween eye 3 and a suitable take-up not shown. It will also be noted that the tongue 2 is of such a length as to permit the movable locking member 9 to have considerable longitudinal movement toward the eye 3 before it comes into contact w'th a hook or cable which might be secured within the eye, this movement permitting the insertion of wires of various proportions between the locking members without hindrance by said As indicated in the drawing the plate 1 and the movable locking member can be connected by means of a chain or other flexible device so that said member 9 can not be accidentally lost.

Formed within the inner face of In using the device a suitable hook or other connection between the grip and a suitable take-up is secured within the eye 3 after which the wire to be stretched which has been indicated at 15, is placed within the are designed to be clamped within the passage 6 and against one of the jaws at and 5 after which the movable locking member 9 is inserted into the large end of the passage and driven longitudinally so as to exert a wedging action and clamp the wire against the jaw. When the wire is thus held it will be apparent that the clamping action by the member 9 will increase in proportion to-the pull exerted upon the wire and inasmuch as the clamping faces are disposed along lines extending to one side of the eye 3 it will be apparent that the wire 15 will also extend to one side of said eye and will thus be held out of contact with the connection between the grip and the take-up device. Where very large wires are to be pulled or stretched they grooves 7 and 13 and the smaller grooves 8 and 14: are particularly designed for use upon wires of small gages or, if preferred, two wires may be gripped simultaneously one of said wires being positioned between each jaw and the member 9. In view of the distance between the jaws & and 5 and the eye'3 the member 9 is capable of considerable longitudinal movement so that a sufficient space will be formed between it and the jaw 4 or 5 to permit the removal of the grip from the wire 15 after said wire has been stretched. Although the member 9 has been shown provided with two grooves it will be understood that one of these grooves may be dispensed with if desired; The head 10, aside from constituting means whereby the member 9 can be driven into or out of clamping position, can also be utilized as a grip whereby the member 9 can be pushed into or pulled back from position by hand ceases when the frictional'engagement of the parts is not too great.

It will be seen that the device is very simple, durable, and efficient inasmuch as it is formed of two parts. which can be cast or otherwise produced and can be readily applied to or removed from engagement with wires of different sizes.

What is claimed is:

A wire gripping device comprising a base lilaving integral converging wire engaging jaws along opposite edges thereof, a tongue integral with and extending longitudinally from one end of the base at a point between the jaws and terminating ina take-up engaging portion, a longitudinally movable wedge-like locking member insertible between the jaws and having its opposite faces cooperating with the respective jaws, the cooperating faces of said locking member and jaws being disposed upon straight 'lines,vsaid lines extending past opposite sides of the 1 lifll8-11") 6D a in OItlOIl 0116 5108 Of l a: a: a lOCKIH member b8111 beveled for en a eb b D ment with correspondingly beveled jaw,'

both jaws and the clamping face of the member having registering longitudinal grooves therein, a combined grip and head outstanding from the locking member, and a flexible connection between said head and the base.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto 'aflixed our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

GEO. n. GLASS. GEORGE A. VINT.

Witnesses:

EDWARD M. Sumner, FRANK WEBER. 

